Four very worthy charities, which provide vital support to cancer patients and their families, between them will share the proceeds of €121,008.

DONATION: John O'Sullivan (Radio Kerry) pictured with Jack Shanahan (Chairman Fundraising Kerry Hospice/Palliative Care) handing over a cheque from the proceeds from the Radio Kerry Bingo.

PROCEEDS: John O'Sullivan (Radio Kerry) pictured with Michael Moynihan (Recovery Haven Board Member) Marisa Reidy (Marketing & PR Recovery Haven) and Cathal Walshe (Service user Recovery Haven) handing over a cheque from the proceeds from the Radio Kerry Bingo.

Kerry Cancer Support Group, Kerry Hospice, Recovery Haven Kerry Cancer Support House and Comfort for Chemo Kerry were gifted the donation from the Radio Kerry Radio Bingo game.

Following a hiatus of many years Radio Kerry reintroduced the popular Radio Bingo game in May 2021 at a time when many live events and especially charity fundraisers were on hold due to the pandemic.

Radio Kerry worked with the four charities in July 2020 on a one day fundraiser called Celebrate4Life which raised over €135,000. They were then offered the opportunity to partner with the station on the Radio Bingo game. In total €256,000 has been raised by the people of Kerry, facilitated by Radio Kerry, for the four charities.

“We are lucky to live in a place with a strong sense of community," General Manager of Radio Kerry, Fiona Stack, said.

"The shareholders in Radio Kerry are all local businesses and organisations and are fully committed to any funds raised by the Radio Bingo being passed on to support local charities."

Breda Dyland of Kerry Cancer Support Group said Radio Kerry Bingo came at just the right time for Kerry Cancer Support Group.

"We were coming out of what had been a very difficult time during COVID when all fundraising had almost come to a halt," she said.

"The bingo raised not only vital funds but awareness too. The majority of the funding has been ringfenced for a new wheelchair accessible bus for our Cork route. We were lucky to receive €100k in funding but have to raise another €90k to buy the vehicle. Thanks to everyone who continues to support. It really means a great deal to the team and most of all to our service users.”

Jack Shanahan, Chairman of the Kerry Hospice Foundation said they are delighted to accept this substantial amount from Radio Kerry.

“Along with supporting our regular palliative care services, the extra money will be spent helping employ two new full-time advanced nurse practitioners. They will provide much needed extra clinical support for our extremely busy units.”

Marisa Reidy, PR & Marketing Officer, Recovery Haven Kerry added that they are "absolutely blown away by the generosity and goodwill of the people of Kerry" and that they want to "thank them for their support of Radio Kerry Bingo".

"We hope they know just how much we appreciate their support and never take it for granted. Meanwhile, the team at Radio Kerry have been such wonderful supporters of our charity from day one, and we are so grateful that they thought so highly of us - and the other cancer support services in Kerry - to include us in this year’s Radio Kerry Bingo. The funds raised surpassed all our expectations and will go a huge way in allowing us to support those affected by cancer and their families.”

Mary Fitzgerald, Chairperson Comfort for Chemo Kerry added that the funds raised will go towards continuing fundraising to help build, equip and provide comfort for patients undergoing chemotherapy in a state-of-the-art chemotherapy unit within the grounds of UHK.

BINGO

As well as the weekly jackpot there is a daily prize of €400 for players who fill a panel on the daily page. Numbers are broadcast five times per day on Radio Kerry as well as being posted on Radio Kerry Facebook and Instagram Stories daily. Books are €5 each available from over 70 outlets countywide. Radio Kerry does not benefit financially from the Radio Bingo game.

€70,395 in prize money has been won by players, €43,995 in daily prizes and two Jackpot wins of €13,800 and €12,600.

The Radio Kerry Radio Bingo game is now in its second year and proceeds from the game continue to be distributed equally among the four charity partners Kerry Cancer Support Group, Kerry Hospice, Recovery Haven Kerry Cancer Support House and Comfort for Chemo Kerry.

For more details on Radio Kerry Radio Bingo and a list of participating shops where books can be purchased are available on www.radiokerry.ie/bingo.